diff --git a/src/main/java/pl/project13/maven/git/GitCommitIdMojo.java b/src/main/java/pl/project13/maven/git/GitCommitIdMojo.java
index fb761b86..268b78d5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/pl/project13/maven/git/GitCommitIdMojo.java
+++ b/src/main/java/pl/project13/maven/git/GitCommitIdMojo.java
@@ -77,7 +77,6 @@ public class GitCommitIdMojo extends AbstractMojo {
    * The root directory of the repository we want to check
    *
    * @parameter
-   * @required
    */
   private File dotGitDirectory;
 
@@ -101,6 +100,8 @@ public class GitCommitIdMojo extends AbstractMojo {
   public final String logPrefix = "[GitCommitIdMojo] ";
 
   public void execute() throws MojoExecutionException {
+    dotGitDirectory = lookupGitDirectory();
+
     getLog().info(logPrefix + "Running on '" + dotGitDirectory.getAbsolutePath() + "' repository...");
 
     try {
@@ -117,7 +118,30 @@ public void execute() throws MojoExecutionException {
     getLog().info(logPrefix + "Finished running.");
   }
 
-  private void initProperties() throws MojoExecutionException {
+    private File lookupGitDirectory()
+    {
+        if (dotGitDirectory != null && dotGitDirectory.exists())
+        {
+            return dotGitDirectory;
+        }
+
+        if(project == null)
+        {
+            dotGitDirectory = new File(".git");
+            if(dotGitDirectory.exists() && !dotGitDirectory.isFile()) { return dotGitDirectory; }
+        }
+
+        dotGitDirectory = new File(project.getBasedir().getAbsolutePath() + "/.git");
+
+        if(dotGitDirectory.exists() && !dotGitDirectory.isFile()) { return dotGitDirectory; }
+
+        dotGitDirectory = new File(project.getParent().getBasedir().getAbsolutePath() + "/.git");
+
+        if(dotGitDirectory.exists() && !dotGitDirectory.isFile()) { return dotGitDirectory; }
+        return dotGitDirectory;
+    }
+
+    private void initProperties() throws MojoExecutionException {
     getLog().info(logPrefix + "initializing properties...");
     if (project != null) {
       getLog().info(logPrefix + "Using maven project properties...");
@@ -202,10 +226,6 @@ private Repository getGitRepository() throws MojoExecutionException {
     Repository repository = null;
 
     FileRepositoryBuilder repositoryBuilder = new FileRepositoryBuilder();
-    if (dotGitDirectory == null) {
-      dotGitDirectory = project.getBasedir();
-    }
-
     try {
       repository = repositoryBuilder
           .setGitDir(dotGitDirectory)
diff --git a/src/test/java/pl/project13/maven/git/GitCommitIdMojoTest.java b/src/test/java/pl/project13/maven/git/GitCommitIdMojoTest.java
index 9854d40b..f01de7da 100644
--- a/src/test/java/pl/project13/maven/git/GitCommitIdMojoTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/pl/project13/maven/git/GitCommitIdMojoTest.java
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ public class GitCommitIdMojoTest extends PlexusTestCase {
 
   public void setUp() throws Exception {
     mojo = new GitCommitIdMojo();
-    mojo.setDotGitDirectory(new File("/home/ktoso/coding/maven-plugins/git-commit-id-plugin/.git/"));
+    mojo.setDotGitDirectory(new File(".git/"));
     mojo.setPrefix("git");
     mojo.setDateFormat("dd.MM.yyyy '@' HH:mm:ss z");
     mojo.setVerbose(true);